1. What Training Must Achieve
Every type of training must have a clearly defined purpose and a way of measuring whether the training has been successful.
This page could go on and on and on…… but we won’t overwhelm you! Ultimately, the aim is to make sure that all workers know how to work and behave safely so that they can go home at the end of every work session without endangering their own safety or that of their colleagues and anyone else they come into contact with. This guidance explains how to draw up an H&S training schedule for your organisation. Subsequent sections explain the general types of training that the Competent Person can use to achieve the appropriate levels of ability for every worker. So, here goes.
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
- Draw up a list of names of every worker in your organisation. It is a good idea to design a Training Matrix with the names down the left-hand side and the various types of training required by your organisation along the top.
- Draw up a second list of subcontractors your organisation uses, if applicable. See also Other Workers in the Responsibilities section. You can use the same Training Matrix or have a separate matrix if you prefer – choose whichever works better for you. Your organisation might have a rule for the level of training you require your subcontractors to have before they are used, and the CP must make sure these qualifications/training records are in place and up to date. Every subcontractor must complete, every year, a Sub-contractor Assessment. NB: There are two types of subcontractors and, therefore, two different forms. Individual subcontractors (usually self-employed individuals) must complete the Subcontractor Assessment – Individual, and subcontracted companies must complete the Subcontractor Assessment – Company.
- Ensure you have a set of job descriptions for each work role (or a comprehensive written contract with a subcontracted company). If you have an HR department, they will be able to help you with this. Each job role will have different training needs, although there will of course be training that is common to everyone, e.g. health and safety policy training. It is essential that these training needs are regularly reviewed to make sure they remain current AND that they are sufficient for the role.
- Go down the list of names and tick the box under each training course/qualification that is required. If you are using an Excel spreadsheet, you can set up an alert for when refresher training is required and for when a qualification expires. If you are using your own matrix, make sure that you keep a separate record of when refresher training and expired qualifications are required.
- Add any refinements that are appropriate for your organisation. For example, if additional training is sometimes required following an accident or incident, you might want to include a separate column to demonstrate this.
Health and Safety Myth
The importance of being proportionate in the approach to training requirements
A company sought to secure a contract to carry out maintenance to coffee machines. They failed the contractor's assessment process because all their health and safety training is run in house and the contractor's assessment only recognises accredited training.
Certainly, large contractors in the construction industry have a duty to ensure that its subcontractors are properly trained before going onto site. However, in this case, insistence that a subcontractor engaged to service its drinks vending machines must have their training validated by third party accreditation at its own cost, when they can already demonstrate that they have conducted equivalent training, is disproportionate and inflexible.